Asian Monsoon Transport of Pollution to the Stratosphere

Abstract

Riding the Monsoon Most air transport from the troposphere to the stratosphere occurs in the tropics, but additional transport may occur in areas of strong upward convection. Randel et al. (p. 611 , published online 25 March) report satellite measurements of atmospheric hydrogen cyanide over the region where the Asian summer monsoon occurs, which indicate that air is transported from the surface to deep within the stratosphere. This mechanism represents a pathway for pollutants to enter the global stratosphere, where they might affect ozone chemistry, aerosol characteristics, and radiative properties.